


The Study of Sea Life

by Dragonsigma



Category: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Genre: Gen, Marine Biology, Tentacles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 17:20:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7942750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonsigma/pseuds/Dragonsigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Serenity, there appears to be a… a <i>creature</i> in the garden fountain."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Study of Sea Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ExtraPenguin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraPenguin/gifts).



“Serenity, there appears to be a… a  _ creature _ in the garden fountain."

“A… what? What sort of creature?” Maia asked, almost certain he’d misheard. The gardener, ears low, twisted his sunhat in his hands. “We do not know yet. But we assure you, we are attempting to find out.”

That, so it seemed, was all there was to hear; the gardener left with more hurried apologies and assurances, and Csevet ushered in the next appointment of the day. Maia heard no more on the matter for several days, and then one morning a page arrived with a note from the Archduchess Vedero.

_ A colleague of ours has a theory regarding the animal in the gardens, _ the message began, and that was how, two days later, Maia found himself giving an audience to a short woman in very practical dress (at least, it seemed practical to his eyes, for one who would be examining wild animals, but Beshelar and a few of the servants looked askance at her trousers and plainly-dressed hair).

“We believe the creature to be a Greater Barizheise Armfish, Serenity,” Osmin Techarin said, producing a naturalist’s illustration and holding it out to Maia. Maia took the paper and studied the image: an animal with a bulbous body and eight long, flexible arms trailing behind. A figure of a man was drawn beside it, for scale - the creature was at least three times his height in length.

“Of course,” she went on, “the specimen we are dealing with is a juvenile, and only a fraction of that size.”

“But it will grow, surely?”

“Possibly,” she said. “Or its growth may be stunted by the confined space.”

“Is there anything we must do? Is the creature dangerous?” Maia asked, pushing aside thoughts that it was not the Emperor’s place to be concerned about what likely counted as the groundskeepers’ business.

“The Greater Barizheise Armfish is most well known for… well, for molesting swimmers in certain inappropriate ways.” She looked a little embarrassed as she said so, but she did not trip over her words. “Because of this they are frequent subjects of tawdry illustration.”

Someone, probably Beshelar, coughed.

“Is there anything to be done about this… fish?”

“Technically, Serenity, it is not a fish but a mollusk, as it does not possess a spine, but the common name is archaic and has not been changed,” Osmin  Techarin said, ignoring the glares she received for daring to correct the Emperor. “But we believe it would be best to transfer the creature to a glass tank.” She glanced up at him, suddenly looking very much like a child begging for a gift- “We would be glad to take it for our research.”

Maia considered it. “That sounds an appropriate solution,  Osmin  Techarin,” he said. “We trust you can assist the groundskeepers in making the needed arrangements?”

“We will, Serenity. Thank you,” she said, and Maia had rarely see anyone look so pleased.

**Author's Note:**

> Join the tiny fandom discussion and RP at http://www.slashnet.org/webclient/thegoblinemperor


End file.
